by Mia Madison
Sweet, sweet torture.
I only put her back onto her feet when we’d made it to my bedroom, and only then so I could help her undress. My fingers fumbled with the zippers and straps of her dress, and I was half-tempted to just rip it off her, but she thankfully intervened, smiling sweetly as she worked whatever magic had been necessary to make the dress fall to the floor.
“Jesus, you’re beautiful. So, so beautiful.” I fell to my knees in front of her, showering her with a trail of kisses down her stomach as I slowly, gently pulled her panties down.
I paused and leaned back when I’d finally got her naked. If she had stopped me right at that moment, I would’ve been content to simply feast my eyes on her gorgeous body, her face, her breasts, the slick folds that I gently traced with my fingers.
“Miguel, please,” she whimpered, reaching down to guide my hand as she pressed it against herself.
All I wanted was to make her happy, and the needy little whimper she made as my finger slipped inside of her? Yeah, that was gonna make me pretty fucking happy, too.
I looked up at her, but her eyes were closed and her head was back as she moaned and moved against my hand.
“Right there, Miguel,” she panted. “Right there, baby. Just keep doing that.”
“I could do this all night,” I said, meaning it.
I let my free hand roam over her body, along her thigh, over her hip, up the side of her stomach until I reached her breast. She moaned again as my fingers grazed over the hard, tiny bud of her nipple, and I pinched it playfully, hoping for another one of those delicious little whimpers.
I wasn’t disappointed, and she gasped as her body rocked harder against me.
“Oh my — mmm,” she moaned, writhing and bucking under the attention from both of my hands.
Seeing her like that, experiencing so much pleasure from my touch — because of me — was the most sensual, erotic thing I’d ever experienced. I didn’t want it to ever end, but at the same time, I really, really wanted to bring her to the climax that I knew was building inside of her.
“Come for me, Bianca,” I whispered, loving the way she instantly responded.
“Yes. Baby. Now.” She panted out each word as she clamped down on my finger, bucking against me one final time as the orgasm flowed through her.
It was beautiful to watch, and as I slipped my finger from her and raised up to put my arms around her, leaving her gasping and feeling very delicate and fragile against me, I knew that I’d finally made given her at least a fraction of the pleasure she’d given me.
“That was… so good,” I said, trying and failing to find the words to express what I felt.
“Better than good,” she corrected me, as her lips brushed against my cheek. “It was wonderful. You are wonderful, Miguel.”
I moved my hand to her chin and tipped her face up to capture her mouth with mine. I didn’t know how I’d been lucky enough to get this woman in my bed, but I didn’t want to ask questions, or tempt fate.
I just wanted to kiss her. To hold her.
To be with her.
Bianca
I sat across the table from Miguel, trying to keep my eyes focused on his. That wasn’t normally a problem, especially lately, since we’d been spending more and more time together.
But here, in one of South Beach’s trendiest restaurants, I was having a hard time concentrating. There were simply too many memories competing for my attention. Memories of the last couple of times I’d been there.
Memories of Desmond.
No. Fuck that.
I wasn’t going to let the thoughts of that man ruin the time I was spending with Miguel. Miguel deserved better than that, and so did I.
“So these are the offers we have so far.” Miguel shuffled through the papers he’d brought with him.
Even though I figured we were technically on a date, I’d asked him to bring the paperwork from the potential investors for my studio. I was anxious to get the ball rolling with it, but he seemed less than excited with what we had so far.
“Those aren’t the greatest terms,” I said, frowning slightly. “I was really hoping I wouldn’t need to give up too much equity, especially since the long-term goal would be to buy out anyone who partnered with me.”
“That’s kind of what I was thinking, too.”
“But I mean… if you think it’s the best deal we’re going to get, I don’t really have much choice.”
“You’ve always got choices,” he said, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly. “Always remember that. Honestly, I’d hold off on either of these deals that we’ve been talking about tonight. Something better could be just around the corner.”
“I like your optimism, even if it might be a little misplaced.” I sighed. “But maybe you’re right. I guess I don’t need to rush into anything. Do you think these guys will leave their offers on the table while I think about it?”
“I think they will. And if they don’t, we’ll find you something better. I promise you that.”
That was just like Miguel. Always optimistic. Always looking out for me. Always believing the best was yet to come. I admired that about him.
I loved that about him.
It was a realization that I’d been avoiding, but I knew myself — my heart — well enough to know that I was falling helplessly, hopelessly in love with this man. I just didn’t know what to do about it.
Could I take the chance to be in another relationship? To give myself completely to someone again? With Desmond, when it had ended, it had devastated me. I wasn’t sure if I could handle going through something like that again.
And I wasn’t fair for me to ask Miguel to wait around while I figured things out. He made it clear that he was looking for someone special. I didn’t know if I even measured up to that ideal woman he’d been waiting for his whole life.
Miguel frowned and made a pained noise that was half-groan, half… something else. It was enough to immediately pull me from my thoughts.
“What’s wrong? Miguel, are you okay?”
“Yes, just—”
Whatever he’d been about to say was interrupted by a booming voice behind me. An all-too-familiar voice that sent an instant chill down my spine.
“Miguel! Man, I didn’t expect to see you here.”
Oh my God. No. No, no, no.
“Good evening, Desmond.” Miguel smiled, but his face had gone pale. “We were just discussing—”
“Bianca.” Desmond towered over me in a way that made me feel very exposed and vulnerable, as if the entire restaurant could see my thoughts and fears playing out in real-time. “It’s good to see you.”
“Desmond, it’s…” I swallowed hard, trying to make myself say something nice.
And then the words died on my lips when I saw her. The girl he left me for — one of them, anyway — looking very annoyed. And very pregnant.
I reached across the table to gather the papers Miguel had been looking at, making sure to let my hand linger on his. I could tell from the way Desmond’s eyes narrowed that there was no way he’d missed that little detail.
Without looking back to Desmond, I flipped through the papers. “Anyway, Miguel, what were you saying? How many investors have been in touch?”
I didn’t expect him to answer — a good thing, since he looked absolutely mortified. After several excruciatingly long seconds, Desmond finally seemed to get the message.
“Come on, baby,” he said, putting his arm around the woman he’d walked over with. “We don’t wanna interrupt their business meeting.”
I stopped myself from rolling my eyes, but just barely. Instead, my eyes focused on the light reflecting off the generous, sparkly diamond on her hand. My fucking ring. You gave that bitch my fucking ring, are you kidding me?
Well, it wasn’t mine anymore, obviously. And I sure as hell wouldn’t claim it, but I did wonder how it would make her feel to know that she was wearing used goods. Apparently he’d kept the engagement ri
ng I gave back to him, only to recycle it and re-gift it once he got her pregnant.
Such a class act. Jerk.
Luckily, they left before I could open my mouth to say anything rude. My blood pressure hadn’t recovered, though. And from the looks of it, neither had Miguel’s.
“Sorry about that.” I suddenly felt incredibly immature for almost having an altercation with my ex in front of Miguel. God, I was just as bad as Desmond. He’d come over there trying to bait me, and I fell for it.
“No need to apologize. That guy is a…” He paused and snapped his mouth closed, as if choosing his words carefully. “He’s a piece of work.”
I nodded. “You don’t even know the half of it.”
“Well, my agency represents him, so I know more than I care to.”
I felt my eyes go wide. “Are you serious?” I shook my head in disbelief. It felt as if I’d just been slapped — as if I’d been betrayed by Desmond again. Not only was he a pain in my ass, but he’d no doubt take every opportunity to make Miguel’s life hell, too.
Miguel nodded. “He’s one of our biggest clients, so the partners all walk on eggshells around him. It’s pretty disgusting, honestly, and it’s one of the things that’s making me seriously reconsider what I do for a living.”
I blinked, trying to digest everything Miguel had just said. “I literally had no idea. I just hope this doesn’t come back to you in some way. If I know Desmond, though…”
“I’m not even worried about it,” Miguel waved a dismissive hand. “And he’s definitely not going to ruin the rest of our night together.”
He smiled and reached across the table to take my hand. I squeezed it and did my best to return his smile, but I wasn’t feeling it.
And from the look in his eyes, he wasn’t either.
Fucking Desmond.
Miguel
“Terri, you don’t understand.” I tried to keep my voice calm, even though it was becoming more and more difficult for me to think straight. “It’s not like that — and even if it was, it’s sure as hell none of his business.”
Or yours, I nearly added.
“Miguel, at the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter.” She sighed, and her face softened for a moment. “Look, I’m not trying to tell you what you can and can’t do outside of this building. But Desmond feels like it’s a conflict of interest, and he’s threatened to walk if I don’t do something about it.”
The bastard didn’t even have the balls to tell me to my face? Piece of shit.
“And what if I walk instead, Terri? Did you think about that?”
I couldn’t believe I’d actually just said those words out loud, and Terri looked just as shocked.
“I have thought about that, actually,” she said, her voice turning hard again. “And, unfortunately, it’s a chance I’ll have to take.”
Wow. Okay. So, that’s how it was going to be. The message had been clear: Back off Bianca, or lose your job. Lose the chance to invest in Bianca’s company. Probably lose Bianca in the end, too.
What woman would want to date the guy who hadn’t even been able to stand up to her obnoxious ex? It was really a no-win situation.
“I think I understand,” I said, slowly, barely able to contain my rising anger. I understood perfectly well. “Is there anything else?”
“No, that’s all.” Terri moved to leave my office, stopping at the door to look back over her shoulder. “And Miguel… I’m sure you’ll make the right decision.”
I was left alone, silently fuming at the closed door, wanting nothing more than to get up and follow her, to plead my case, to tell her I wouldn’t be condescended to, or bullied, or backed against the wall.
But there was no point.
Terri had made her position — the position of the firm — unmistakably clear. They were going to stand behind their star account, the man who was worth millions to them today, rather than the man who had spent his career bringing in tens of millions — honestly, hundreds of millions — in contracts.
“Fuck!”
I slammed a fist down onto my desk and slowly exhaled the breath I’d been holding in. There was almost no point in being mad about it. Almost. It’s just how the world worked. It would be the same way at any other firm in town.
But that didn’t make it right. And it sure as hell didn’t make it any easier to accept.
What was I supposed to do now?
And what was I going to tell Bianca?
“That son of a bitch!” Bianca’s voice rose with each word. “I don’t understand. I mean, I do. I knew he’d try something sneaky. As soon as I found out the two of you worked together, I knew he’d try it. But I don’t understand how he can live with himself. He even gave that bitch my ring. Isn’t that enough?”
I’d anticipated disappointment. I’d been prepared for confusion. For hurt feelings. But I hadn’t expected the sheer volume of Bianca’s anger toward Desmond when I told her what had happened.
And I didn’t really know what the thing about the ring was, but that was the least of my worries at the moment.
“I tried to argue with my boss about it. I told her that he shouldn’t be able to dictate what I did outside of work — that it was bad enough we had to jump through hoops from dawn to dusk for the guy. But now he gets to tell me who I can talk to? It’s ridiculous. Beyond ridiculous, really.”
My voice had been steadily rising, too, but I finally sighed. I just couldn’t muster the same anger that she had. Not anymore, anyway. I’d spent most of the drive home, and then the drive to Bianca’s house letting out my frustrations and my anger by yelling at traffic from the confines of my car.
I’d hoped that it would help me be level-headed once I finally got to see Bianca, and… maybe it had? I couldn’t see the point in yelling, anyway. It hadn’t fixed anything so far.
“So, what do we do now?” Her voice was smaller, and she suddenly sounded almost as defeated as I felt. “I mean, I guess it’s pretty obvious.”
I looked at her questioningly. “It is?”
Nothing seemed obvious to me anymore. I used to view the world in black and white, cut and dry. But nothing had been simple since I’d met Bianca, and especially not this. The only thing I knew for sure was that I didn’t want to stop seeing her.
“We can’t do this anymore.” There was an evident loss of joy and strength in her tone.
“No.” I immediately rejected that proposition. “That’s not what I want to do.”
“It’s not what I want to do, either, Miguel. But what other choice do we have? I’m not going to ask you to give up your job. Not for something uncertain. Not for me.”
My head was spinning as I tried to process everything she’d just said. I might not be ready to throw in the towel at work, but I wasn’t ready to call things off with Bianca, either. I was going to have to do one of those things, though.
And it seemed like Bianca had already made the decision.
“Let me just take a few days to think about it. Maybe I can figure something out. Maybe we can just lay low for a while… but I don’t want to give up on…” I shrugged as I struggled for the right words. “On what might happen between us.”
“I don’t think anything can happen between us. I don’t see how we can make it work, Miguel.” Her voice was more firm this time. She shook her head and avoided eye contact, but I could see the wetness pooling in her eyes, threatening to spill. But her tone was what hit me. It wasn’t a question. She was telling me that it wasn’t going to work. “I’m sorry. I don’t want to mess things up for you anymore. Thank you for everything you’ve done, but… I think this is it. This is where it has to end.”
“Don’t apologize,” I said. I opened my mouth to say more, but she held up her hand.
“Please, Miguel. Don’t make this harder than it has to be — for either of us. Just go. Please.”
I felt the hot prick of tears behind my eyes as she turned away from me. I reached for her, but she pulled back.
/> “Please, Miguel…” It was a helpless whimper at this point.
I flinched, pulling my hand back as if it had been burned. What else could I say?
I turned to go, swiping at my cheeks as I opened the door to leave. For a moment, I hesitated, half-hoping that she’d call out, that she’d change her mind and tell me to stay. That we could figure something out together.
But the silence was deafening, and then the moment passed. She didn’t stop me, so I left.
I walked back to my car, trying — and failing — to hold back the angry, frustrated tears that had been threatening to fall. This really was how it was going to end.
Whatever we had together was over. Now I was alone.
Again.
Bianca
I waved goodbye as Rona left the studio.
“See you next week,” I called, only letting the smile slip from my lips after the door had closed behind her.
I’d kept her late — again — hoping that she’d heard something from Miguel. How he was doing, or how he looked, or… anything.
But no. Of course she hadn’t.
It had been nearly two weeks since the last time I’d seen Miguel, since that day at my apartment when I’d asked him to leave.
At the time, it had felt like the right choice — the only choice, really. I knew it would hurt, but I hadn’t been prepared for how awful I would feel, or for how long the hurt would last. I was utterly fucking crushed.
Yet if it really had been the right decision, why the fuck was I so damn miserable?
I’d known all along that he was really too good for me. Too nice, too sweet, too much of a gentleman. Our experience – it was all too good to be true. Never meant to last. The situation with Desmond only proved that.
And Desmond? Oh, how I would have loved to punch that slick, reptilian bastard in the throat. He even had the nerve to attempt to send me a bouquet at the studio right after Miguel and I called it quits.
My heart panged to recall how Miguel had seriously been considering giving up his career to take a chance on me, when I hadn’t even been able to tell him exactly how I felt about him.